Switch-rope coupling.



No. 835,439. PATENTED NOV. 6, 1906. D. F. KNAPP.

SWITCH ROPE COUPLING. APPLIOATION rum) AUG. 21. 1906.

I W/TNESSE 56$ DWIGHT EKNAPP a 8) ATTORNEYS DWIGHT F. KNAPP, OF PORTLAND, OREGON.

SWITCH-ROPE COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 6, 1906.

Application filed August 21. 1906. Serial No. 331.477-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DWIGHT F. KNAPP, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Portland, in the county of Multnomah and State of Oregon, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Switch-Rope Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in switchrope couplings, such as are used for rerailing cars, engines, &c.; and the invention consists in certain novel constructions and combinations of parts as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my coupling as in use and applied in lieu of a car-coupling knuckle. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the coupler applied to the arch-bar of a car-truck, and Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the coupler.

As is well known, engines, cabooses, baggage-cars, and wrecking outfits are equipped with switch-ropes used to rerail cars and engines, and the switch-ropes ordinarily used are provided at one end with a link and at the other end with a hoop; but they cannot be readily applied to cars and engines equipped with automatic couplings, and the purpose of my invention is to provide a device which can be coupled to an automatic coupler-bar by removing the knuckle and using the same knuckle-pin that holds the knuckle in place, and which will also be adapted for application to the arch-bar of a truck when it is desired to slue the truck around in line with the track. To this end, my coupler A has a body portion A and is provided at one end with a link A to which the switch-rope B may be secured, as shown.

As best shown in Fig. 3, the coupler has its body portion flattened at one end and formed at said end into the link A while the other end of the coupler is thickened or widened in a direction at a right angle to the plane of the said flattened portion forming the head A at its end opposite the link A This head A is bifurcated by the slot A forming the 0p osite parallel arms or bars A, adapted to t a coupler O in place of the knuckle and to be secured by the knucklepin O, as shown in Fig. 1, and also adapted to fit by its slot A over an arch-bar D of a truck, as shown in Fig. 2, the parallel arms A being provided near their extremities with alined openings A to receive the pin O, whether such pin be applied to the coupler, as shown in Fig. 1, or be applied in rear of the arch-bar, as shown in Fig. 2, the slotted heads A permitting the application of the coupler in either instance, as will be understood from Figs. 1 and 2. The coupler A may be made of malleable or wrought iron or other suitable material and will be found eflicient for the purpose for which it is designed.

It will be noticed that the slot A is formed in the direction of length of the coupler, A, and while it does not materially impair the utility of the coupler when applied as shown in Fig. 1 it renders practicable the application of the coupler to the different location shown in Fig. 2, so that the coupler is adapted for use wherever it may be required.

I claim A switch-rope coupling comprising a body portion flattened at one end and having said end formed into a link, for the reception of a switch-rope and widened at its other end in a direction at a right angle to the plane of the flattened portion, forming a head at such end and having such-head slotted longitudinally from the end forming parallel bars,

the said bars being perforated in alinement near their extremities for the reception of a pin, substantially as set forth.

DWIGHT F. KNAPP. Witnesses:

W. A. MAFFIT, FRANK RoEHR. 

